Education Minister Hekia Parata has released provisional NCEA data showing the percentage of Maori and Pasifika students achieving Level 2 has more than doubled over the past eight years.
The percentage for Maori students has risen from 33.2 per cent in 2008 to 69.4 per cent last year.
For Pasifika students the rise is from 48 percent to 75 percent.
Ms Parata says NCEA Level 2 is the passport to a better future so this increase is great news.
She says students, teachers, principals, parents, whanau and aiga all deserve credit for this significant turnaround.
The data is roll-based, which means it counts all students who enrol regardless of whether or not they attempt to achieve NCEA.
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